Pin fields formed on printed circuit boards are well known in the art. Typically, signal and/or ground contact pins are electrically connected to circuit traces on the printed circuit board by way of a press fit of compliant pin portions located within through holes in the printed circuit board. Extending away from the compliant pin portions are contact portions of the pins that are profiled for mating with terminals of a complementary electrical connecting device. Housings are positioned over the pins on one or both sides of the printed circuit board to form a connector assembly. One of the problems with such assemblies centers around the method of retaining the housings to the pin field.
For example, the most common approach for retaining the housings to the pin field is to press fit the pins into passageways of the housing which establishes an interference fit between the housing and the pins. This method has created problems in leaving some of the material of the housing on the pins themselves which could lead to an unstable contact. A solution to this problem is shown in such prior art as European Patent Application 0 578 487 A1. That publication shows the use of a separate terminal retaining block which is press fit onto the pins outside the housing. The housing, in turn, is assembled to the retaining block. This approach creates further problems in requiring expensive application tooling, and such a system is prone to damaging the pins. In addition, the separate retaining block is outside the housing and, consequently, spaces the housing from the printed circuit board. This is undesirable in applications wherein it is desirable that the housing be mounted in close proximity to one side of the printed circuit board, such as when the housing is conductive and establishes a ground plane for the pin field.
The present invention is directed to solving the myriad of problems outlined above and providing a method for retaining a housing to a pin field without mounting the housing directly onto the pins and still maintaining the housing closely juxtaposed to one side of the printed circuit board.